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Also some technologies that are brand new seem irrelevant, or less important, until you get a chance to look back at them years down the road and see exactly how they have changed humanity. The computer is a perfect example.

A lot of people are out there who think they would be ok in a world without computers, but they are missing just how much would be lost:
- ATM's
- Internet (Access to all of that data, the ability to read this post and talk to a complete stranger about a topic of interest)
- Medical applications (life extension and quality of life)

I think genetics in 30 years will be a similar story... when we are able to cure diseases and better peoples lives through genetic therapy we'll then live in a world where people will be horrified that just 50 years ago people died just because they were unlucky to be born with genetics predisposing them to cancers and mental disorders...

Also some technologies that are brand new seem irrelevant, or less important, until you get a chance to look back at them years down the road and see exactly how they have changed humanity. The computer is a perfect example.

A lot of people are out there who think they would be ok in a world without computers, but they are missing just how much would be lost:
- ATM's
- Internet (Access to all of that data, the ability to read this post and talk to a complete stranger about a topic of interest)
- Medical applications (life extension and quality of life)

I think genetics in 30 years will be a similar story... when we are able to cure diseases and better peoples lives through genetic therapy we'll then live in a world where people will be horrified that just 50 years ago people died just because they were unlucky to be born with genetics predisposing them to cancers and mental disorders...

That is a good list. The past 20 years has seen more improvement in standard of living and more people leaving absolute poverty than all of history combined to that point.

They replayed the 60 Minutes segment on Elon Musk & SpaceX last night, with an update on the latest and most successful mission. The exchange about Cernan & Armstrong's comments to Congress and Musk's reaction to those comments still makes me very sad. SpaceX is not the only private/commercial firm in this race (Boeing, ULA, Lockheed Martin, ATK), but criticism of other programs seems to be less publicized or worse. Makes one wonder...

I wish Elon Musk and SpaceX the best come what may. Seems odd to oppose innovation to fill an obvious void/need for any pure reasons...

They replayed the 60 Minutes segment on Elon Musk & SpaceX last night, with an update on the latest and most successful mission. The exchange about Cernan & Armstrong's comments to Congress and Musk's reaction to those comments still makes me very sad. SpaceX is not the only private/commercial firm in this race (Boeing, ULA, Lockheed Martin, ATK), but criticism of other programs seems to be less publicized or worse. Makes one wonder...

I wish Elon Musk and SpaceX the best come what may. Seems odd to oppose innovation to fill an obvious void/need for any pure reasons...

It made me sad watching it again a second time. Not surprisingly there is another side to the story.

Here’s the statement [Chris] Kraft sent me on behalf of himself, Armstrong and Cernan:

What CBS and 60 Minutes did on Sunday evening was a distortion of the facts and the truth regarding SpaceX and people such as Neil Armstrong, Eugene Cernan and those of us that have been criticizing the present game plan of the U.S. Space Program.
We did not condemn the COTS Program. We commend SpaceX for their accomplishments and wish them every success in the future.
However, what they did — NASA and the US Space Industry did 50 years ago and without a road map. SpaceX had the benefit of all of this investment of the taxpayers money and without the taxpayers money today could not have accomplished the goals set by NASA — not by SpaceX.
But that is not the real story. The real story is what the U.S. did in the 1960’s revolutionized the space industry and not only Space but the entire U.S.Industry. Indeed the ROI of the taxpayers money and the resulting explosion of technology provided by this investment revolutionized the entire world.
What we (The past leaders of the U.S. Space Program) are concerned about is the lack of recognition that unless the U.S. continues to advance the state of the art and invest the taxpayers money in a rational and affordable Space Program we will become a second rate nation and be left behind by those who recognize what is required.

Now I agree with everything Chris Kraft said, including that space exploration has a good ROI for taxpayers. However, in a time of severe fiscal crisis, I have hard time arguing the my pet government program is so important that we should fully fund it and cut others.

SpaceX is cost effective way of keeping America in space. I hope once we get our economy moving again we can afford to do more in the future.

However, in a time of severe fiscal crisis, I have hard time arguing the my pet government program is so important that we should fully fund it and cut others.

I once bothered to calculate what my share of the cost of NASA's budget was. The number was so miniscule (at the time less than a soft drink I think) that I concluded that not funding NASA would be foolish.

Keep track of the very close approach to earth of an asteroid. Asteroid (NEA) NEO 153958 (2002 AM31)is only 13.7 Lunar Distances from Earth. It is about the size of a city block. More than big enough to kill millions if it hit the earth. The coverage starts at 4:30 PM Pacific time!!

Keep track of the very close approach to earth of an asteroid. Asteroid (NEA) NEO 153958 (2002 AM31)is only 13.7 Lunar Distances from Earth. It is about the size of a city block. More than big enough to kill millions if it hit the earth. The coverage starts at 4:30 PM Pacific time!!

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